


Redemption

by mjartrod



Category: Muse (Band)
Genre: Belldom - Freeform, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, M/M, Prompt Fic, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fic Exchange
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-13
Updated: 2015-02-13
Packaged: 2018-03-12 06:09:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3346394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mjartrod/pseuds/mjartrod
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the 2015 Valentine’s Day Fic Exchange on Museslash. This was the prompt:<br/>Matt and Dom have been dating for a while, and their relationship has been on the rocks lately (for whatever reasons). Matt can see Dom falling away from him, and tries to rekindle that flame on valentines day with a romantic evening and a bit of smexy times. Dunno if he succeeds or not!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Redemption

**Author's Note:**

> Valentines? Even I am surprised I signed up for this lol Many thanks to the prompter, I hope it is to your liking :)

_Tokyo_

_15_ _ th_ _February, 2015_

_3 a.m._

 

The sheet beside him may have been cold but the picture displayed in front of him warmed him more than any synthetic material ever would.

Sitting on the wide windowsill of the ceiling to floor windows, slender arms locked loosely around his knees, Matt seemed to be lost in his own personal galaxy as he contemplated the busy metropolis below. The city lights outside reflected on the sleek, endless lanes of glassy walls and provided the only source of illumination, which cast the lone figure in shadows. The outline of his nude body against the window drew Dom’s gaze like a beacon. It was striking, from the tousled strands of hair, to the bridge of his nose, the perfect curve of his back, down to his fingertips, the soles of his feet planted on the wood of the window frame. It stole his breath away. For someone who burbled with energy and acted like a magnet to chaos, he could inspire serenity and prove to be a source of endless beauty like Dom rarely knew anyone else to be. He still had it.

He stepped out of the bed quietly, as if fearing an enchantment would be broken and padded over towards the other man. He watched as his head slowly swerved in Dom's direction, crystalline blue gaze falling on the approaching frame, stripped of clothes and uncertainties, his soul laid out bare for Matt to see.

Thin lips curved up almost imperceptibly but the smile reached his eyes. “Thought you’d never join me.” Matt’s arm reached out to him in invitation.

When Dom took the warm hand though, he closed his fingers around it and pulled. Matt’s body complied to the demand and he stood to his feet smoothly. Bodies flush, their lips a breath away, time seemed to stop, clocks no longer ticking, until Dom slowly closed the gap. He withdrew slowly, inhaling; Matt’s lips had remained parted and his eyes had closed, lashes laid out on his skin.

He guided him to the windowsill again and sat with his back against the wooden frame, leaving room for Matt to sit between his legs. He leaned back against Dom’s chest, using one shoulder to pillow his head and his arms like a blanket, cocooning in his body. Dom could feel him taking a deep breath, shifting his head to nuzzle the side of his neck with a small sigh.

“Hope you’re not intending on falling asleep on me.”

A vibration rippled against his chest when Matt replied with a small laugh and then in a deep voice, “No, I don’t want to. I really don’t.” He lifted a hand to cradle one of Dom’s raised knees, his fingertips playing with the sparse blond curls. “Thank you for coming."

“More than once, too.”

Matt giggled again, the sound a symphony to his ears. “Not bad for an old fart.”

It earned him a playful slap on the forehead without any real strength behind it, which only resulted in another giggle.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get you anything, Matt.” Gift exchange had been the last thing on his mind lately. “After you took the effort to bring us here and then...that." He paused at the memory of what he’d been presented with and looked at the bedside table with a smile.

“You’re here. Yesterday I didn’t know if you would want to at all. So yeah, that’s more than enough for me.” He rested his head on Dom’s shoulder again and closed his eyes with a smile.

“I can’t wait, you know.”

“Me too."

Of course Matt had known what he was referring to. Dom tilted his head back against the window frame and stared into the skyline. Their puffs of breath combined created an artificial fog on the glass. The only layer between them and the world that night, the city of Tokyo at their feet witness to their bond.

 

***

 

_14_ _ th_ _February_

_8 p.m._

 

They took the glass lift to the panoramic restaurant atop the large skyscraper. When they exited, 37 floors above ground level, a chef and the headwaiter greeted them courteously, addressing them by their names. They were led in and shown where to leave their shoes, after which they proceeded to close the door. Dom looked back over his shoulder in surprise and then questioningly at Matt when he confidently grabbed his hand, interlacing their fingers.

There was no reply from his companion. A serene smile played on his lips as he gently pulled Dom along, trailing in socks after the headwaiter who guided them to their table, low style but with a sunken floor beneath for the legs, the flicker of a candlelight adorning it. Dom missed the exchange between him and Matt as he took the leather cushion of the low seat cross-legged, too absorbed in checking his surroundings. The view over the heart of Tokyo was fabulous but so was the restaurant itself. Contemporary, elegant and sleek looking, it held both western style and traditional style seating. It was however what it lacked that drew Dom’s attention.

“We’re the only ones here.” He leaned forward to confide his observation once they were alone.

“Yeah, well,” Matt grabbed one of the menus. “The private dining rooms were already booked.”

Dom eyed him suspiciously. “What exactly is that supposed to mean?”

Matt said nothing, just staring at him from behind the menu, only his eyes visible.

Dom’s jaw dropped agape. “You booked the whole restaurant.” He reached out a hand to seize Matt’s wrist and lower the menu which he’d raised to hide his face entirely. “Matt.”

His face was a mask of seeming nonchalance. “Appetizers?”

The headwaiter was returning just then with a bottle of champagne and Dom’s grin widened as he shook his head at Matt in mild astonishment, a smile creeping on the other man’s lips when he raised his glass for a toast.

As it was, they had the chef and several waiters at their disposal, an array of Japanese dishes being served as they consumed one after the other unhurriedly, accompanied with moderate doses of cold saké.

By the time they finished and a content silence set, they had both let their legs dangle into the space below the table, formal posture be damned. Matt’s attention was centred on Dom’s hand as if the world depended on it. Holding it between his over the table, he kept turning it, scraping with a fingernail at a callus, drawing the lines in his palm. Dom couldn’t recall the last time they had enjoyed such a lovely meal, just the two of them. That they were doing it in public without having to spare a thought at who surrounded them was the cherry on top of the cake. Matt’s thumb stroked the back of his hand and the smallest of actions provoked a shiver down his spine. He bit back a smirk and reached out his foot, to brush it on Matt’s calf. The other man’s head instantly snapped up, eyes ablaze.

“Do you wanna leave?”

Matt swallowed and nodded rapidly.

They walked side by side towards the exit and Dom leaned to whisper in Matt’s ear. “There should be a shitload of good clubs around here.”

Matt stalled, eyes widening almost comically. “Y-you wanna go to a club?” But he visibly relaxed upon meeting the expression on Dom’s face. “You cheeky twat.”

Dom squeezed his hand and planted a peck on his lips. “Your face was worth it. Come on.”

The lift was empty and Matt pushed him against a corner, wrapping a hand around his neck and standing on his toes to press their mouths together. None of them moved, they just stayed like that, lips on lips, until the ping of the lift alerted them to the fact that they had arrived at their destination.

There wasn’t anyone outside in the hall and Matt led the way with Dom’s arms around his waist from behind and face snuggled to the side of his neck. When they got in, he twisted in Dom’s arms and pressed him against the wall. The kiss was slow, deep, his tongue like velvet, making Dom warm, heat building from inside out. The drummer flipped them around, swapping their positions and this time he was the one who cupped Matt’s face in his hands, leading the kiss, deepening it as Matt’s head tipped back and he pulled Dom closer by the belt loops.

It felt like a first time and yet, not at all. There was the thrill and the rush of need on the verge of overpowering everything but also a familiarity and comfort, a reassurance that they were in it together.

Matt was smiling when he pulled out of the kiss and held Dom by the arms, walking him backwards, next to the bed. He pinned him to the wall once more and ran his fingers through his hair softly, looking at the locks between his digits in fascination.

“You’ve no idea how much I wanted to do this.”

It was Dom who brought their bodies closer, joining their hips, and his gasp into Matt’s mouth at the friction on his crotch wasn’t disregarded. Nimble fingers were on the front of his shirt which Matt began to open, slowly, delivering one kiss for each button he undid.

His stomach trembled under Matt's touch and he couldn’t help the low moan escaping his mouth when the roaming hand lowered further and covered his crotch. He bucked his hips and Matt pressed his whole body harder against his, opening his mouth with persuasive lips, rubbing him over the dark grey denim with the right amount of pressure. He slid the shirt down Dom's arms and stepped back for a second, checking him out head to toe with his bottom lip caught in his teeth before he pushed himself again into him, more urgent, both hands stroking his chest up and down.

Belt unbuckled and the fly of his skinnies unzipped just when Dom couldn’t hold any longer, he tried to stay still as Matt's mouth began a pathway down, from chin to neck, to each of his nipples. He looked up at Dom as he lowered himself in a crouching position so he could reach his stomach and then on his knees at Dom’s feet right before placing a languid kiss on his navel. Dom weaved a hand through his hair, dishevelling it as he stroked back, swallowing thickly when Matt hooked his fingers on his belt loops and brought skinnies and underwear down the hips.

He was thorough. Spreading moisture liberally by licking his erection with slow swipes of tongue, he’d close his mouth over the head, massaging it with his tongue, before sliding down the shaft to the base with parted lips, hot breath on him as he progressed. Alternating with wet kisses on his balls, his groin, the inside of his thighs, he left no sensitive patch untouched. When he took him in his mouth, he made sure Dom was watching when he sucked, his cheeks hollowing as he looked up at him with darkened pupils, his fingers curled on the length his mouth couldn’t cover and pumping. In and out, again and again. The room was filled with the sound of slick movements and increasingly ragged breaths.  

He stopped when Dom’s grip on his hair tightened. Pulling out with a wet popping sound and swollen lips, he swallowed with difficulty and his knees cracked when he stood. Their mouths clashed sloppily, both groaning, and Dom sucked gently on his lips, on his tongue, tasting himself.

He unbuttoned Matt’s trousers and slid his hands around his waist and underneath the fabric, pulling him nearer and then reaching around to grope, the top of his buttocks already exposed.

“Take your clothes off, Matt.”

“I will. Now lie down on your back. I don’t want you to do anything, I’ll do the work. You just need to lay down.”

Dom nodded and did just that, swallowing as he stretched over the bedclothes, watching Matt pull the black top over his head and leaving his hair in disarray before approaching the bed. One knee on the mattress, he stared at the body in front of him as if transfixed. His hand made its way on to Dom’s thigh, for a light caress.

“You look so good, Dom. Really fucking good.”

He was pleased to see Matt noticed he had been hitting the gym.

“You’ve been working out too.” There was a flicker of self-consciousness, only a shade passing through Matt’s eyes, before he met his gaze with a lopsided smile and crawled over Dom, face approaching his. “Is that all for me?”

“Is it working?”

“What do you think?” Dom breathed.

He pulled Matt’s head down for another kiss, the two working together to pull the remaining clothes on Matt off. He grabbed Matt’s bare arse with both hands, clutching tight, squeezing and releasing the flesh in his grip. Fingertips travelling inward, they spread his cheeks, massaging closer to the core until Matt’s own hands rested on his wrists and guided him down to his thighs.

He raised himself to his knees, sitting astride Dom’s lap and leaned back slightly to take a hold of his erection. Stroking Dom up and down a few times, he brought his backside closer and angled Dom’s cock between his buttocks. Its length laid along the cleft of his arse, he swayed his hips, rubbing.

Every motion deliberate, he kept his eyes on Dom’s as he slowly bent forward, lowering  himself on top of him with the use of his free elbow. His back curved and he lifted his bum a little higher, Dom's cock now rubbing directly over the opening.

His head suddenly dropped, the motion of his hand below slowing down. “Fuck. Oh, fuck.”  

Breathless, Dom only pulled at him, smashing Matt’s mouth against his ear and oohing at the way teeth accidentally grazed his skin. “Yes, that. Just what I was thinking.” He reached below between them, but Matt was already letting his cock fall away.

“No,” he disentangled himself from Dom, face dropping. “No, you don’t understand. I forgot!” He widened his eyes, barely believing his own stupidity. “Your gift!”

Dom’s arm looped around his waist and brought him crashing down on top of him again, their erections bumping together. “Is right here and already very much unwrapped, thank you very much.”

“No, no. Oh, fuck I’m such a complete arse.”

Matt extracted himself from his hold, much to the other man’s disapproval and jumped out of the bed and towards his case. He thought better of it and ran back to quickly wipe his hands on the bedclothes, before proceeding to rummage through his belongings until he found it. It would be unlikely that Dom would touch his case but he still had it hidden, it wasn't big anyway.

When he turned around, Dom was propped on his elbows, his eyes fixed on the small item in his hands. There was no other word for it: he looked terrified. Matt couldn’t help but smile. The package had obviously caused a bit of a misunderstanding.

 

***

_14_ _ th_ _February_

_4 p.m._

 

Matt splashed some water on his face and held his chin between his fingers as he observed himself in the mirror. He scraped at his unkempt beard. A proper shave was in order, he looked pretty fucking terrible. He also needed a wank. Leaning forward against the basin, he squeezed his eyes shut at the welcome, relieving pressure against his crotch. It was suffocating. All he could think of was Dom on the other side of the bathroom’s door. Dom in those tight trousers, Dom’s hair, Dom’s everything. His hand moved of its own accord below his waist and it lingered there for a moment before he pulled himself away with a shake of head. Pathetic. No, he’d know what Matt had been up to while confined in that bathroom the very moment he’d step out into the room.

He was losing his mind. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach with anxiety for the upcoming evening too and to top it off, the long flight certainly hadn’t helped. Against his best wishes, the trip hadn’t been the most pleasant. Dom had been quiet, either asleep or just sunk in the seat in the plane with his headphones on. Didn’t bode well but on the positive side, he did agree to spend the day with Matt, knowing fully well he was embarking on a surprise trip. The destination hadn’t elicited anything negative either. Nor positive, if he thought of it... There was no option other than stick to the plan and give it his best.

When he came in the room, Dom was standing in front of the window, looking out distractedly. It didn’t seem like he heard him returning. From the shirt stretched over broad shoulders to the black fabric clutching his firm arse, his clothes clung to his body perfectly. Thin but all muscle underneath. And as easily like that, Matt’s mind was exploding with memories of warmth and sweat and delirious bliss. He effortlessly alighted in a second what Matt thought he had just succeeded to suppress.

He couldn’t help it; he slid his arms around Dom’s waist and pressed himself against him from behind, dropping a single butterfly kiss on the nape of his neck.

The reaction arrived like a bucket of ice cold water thrown down his head. Dom’s whole body stiffened and he cautiously pushed Matt’s arms down.

“What’s wrong?”

“I can’t do this, Matt.” He stepped away from him and rubbed his face with his hands. “I’m sorry, I can’t.”

“You can’t, what?” His whole world shattered at his feet and the lump in his throat swelled up to the point of almost stifling his voice. “What is it that you can’t do?”

“This. Us. I don’t want it to ruin our friendship, I don’t want it to ruin the band.  I can’t do this anymore. I love you, Matt but... I’m sorry, it’s just... it’s not working.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Don’t act like it’s a surprise. You feel exactly the same.”

“Listen.” It took all of him not to reach out and spin Dom towards him, to be able to look him in the eye. “I know things haven’t been perfect but we can get through this and that’s why I-“

It was as if Dom had read his mind; he turned on the spot. “That’s why you did this? Your brilliant idea to solve our problems? You plan a textbook perfect Valentine’s day and you think the problems magically disappear?”

“So that’s it then.” Incredulity tinted his voice. “You’re breaking up with me? Is that it? You came all the way to the other side of the fucking world to break up with me?”

Dom didn’t reply and Matt wiped at his nose, ran his hands through his own hair in distress.

“No, I don’t accept that.”

Dom snorted sarcastically.

“I don’t accept that. Because you came with me, you wanted to come with me and you wanted to make this work and that’s why you came! Not to break up with me!”

“That I came with you is the perfect example of why this isn’t working between us, Matt. I came with you because you asked me, not because I wanted." He paused upon seeing the look on Matt’ face. “You don’t get it, do you? It’s always the same - it’s always all about _you_. You ask, you demand, you force me... and I go along!"

"What?"

"It’s always been this way, no sodding wonder you don’t notice. It’s a one way relationship, it’s always been. You’re a selfish twat, it’s always you, you, _you_! And me, the idiot at your side, taking it all!”

“That’s not true, Dom.”

“It is and you know it! I’m always here and you take me for granted! Sometimes I’m the safety net, other times I’m the punching bag," he counted by his fingers. "And I can take a lot and I can deal with that just fine as friends and in the band... but not in a relationship. I deserve more.”

It was like trying to grab smoke with bare fingers. “Dom, I know that I can be a real bastard sometimes but-“

“Admit it, Matt. Just. Admit it. For once in your life stop trying to win an argument and be right for the sake of it and just admit it.”

Matt bit his lip, his body taut with a very different kind of tension to the one he’d felt only moments before. He took a deep breath, trying to calm down. He was prepared for this, he should’ve been prepared for this. He had known it was coming. And yet, thoughts and words didn’t line up in the right way in his head, he didn’t know what to say, how to say it. It was all a blur, everything spinning wildly, and the only thing clear was Dom, in front of him, telling him they were over.

“You’re different, Matt. You’re different from everyone else and I saw that from the start, since we were kids. You’re a little genius, you’re special. And you’re bloody difficult. And I’ve loved you like that anyway and I can deal with that as mates, as co-workers. But not in a relationship. I need more but you can’t give me what I want.”

“I can-“

“Please let me finish, I need to say this.” He raised a hand, as if collecting his thoughts and then he looked at Matt again. “You can be affectionate, I know you have it in you. I’m not blind, I saw the way you treated your girlfriends, you pulled out all the stops. And... I think I was hoping to have a bit of that for myself too. But we are what we have always been. I expected more from you and maybe that was my mistake... You can’t treat me like you treat them.”

“Dom, I can’t treat you like I treat anyone else, you mean more to me than anyone else in this world.”

It was all said in one breath. It took Dom a moment to reply, as he seemed slightly taken aback.

“And yet, you can’t show that.”

He sat on the edge of the bed, splaying his hands on his thighs, and left Matt frozen on the spot. With a vacant look in his eyes, exposed and dumbfounded. When he spoke, his voice was softer than Dom remembered hearing from him.

“Ever since we met that I knew that things were never going to be the same. And when you’re a kid and you’re an oddball and you realise you like your best friend more than it seems normal, I think... you get cautious and you start to avoid certain things. You want to push him in the only way you can, to make up for the fact that... you don’t want people to know, you don’t want...” he seemed to shrink on himself.

“We’re not teenagers anymore, Matt.”

“You grow up and you don’t want to be overwhelmed by the way you feel, you don’t want to be... dependant. And you try to fight that the only way you know has always worked.” He trailed off. “I’m not making excuses, I’m just saying I...” he shook his head. “I don’t know what the fuck I’m saying. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not being enough. I’m weak and I insult you when what I wanna do is to tell you how much I love you.”

Dom sighed and looked down.

“I can’t figure what’s on your mind half the time anymore, Dom. I just see you falling away from me and I don’t know what to do.”

“You don’t need to guess, I’ve tried to tell you but you don’t listen and I’m tired of it all. I know it’s my fault too, for not being more assertive. You only push me because I let you.” Dom’s head hung forward, his arms crossed in front of his chest tightly. It was difficult. So difficult to lose old habits and evolve in a new direction.

“Please, Dom. Please, give me another chance to try. I can do this. Please. But you need to help me, I can’t do this on my own.”

“Matt, I-”

“Do you not think it’s worth giving it another shot?” He sat on the bed next to him, upper body turned to him. “Please. I need you, Dom. I can’t cope without you. I don’t want to lose you.”

“I don’t want to lose you either, Matt and that’s why I...” There was no real strength behind the words anymore.

Matt laid a hand on his arm and rested his chin on the closest shoulder, his nose buried on the juncture between neck and shoulder.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry for being an utter bellend... please let me try again... I can make it work, I promise. Help me doing it, we can make it work.”

Dom let himself drop back on the mattress, his eyes on the ceiling. He seemed to be weighing his options. Matt wanted to tackle him, to kiss him silly, to let Dom show him how much he meant it. No, he wasn’t perfect. But he was willing to do whatever it took.

Dom’s gaze swerved towards him and he patted the mattress next to him. Matt instantly scooted up in the bed and lay on his side next to him.

“I don’t want to lose you, Matt.” He whispered.

“Let’s start over again. From today.”

Dom rolled on his side and approached his face to Matt’s. “Just... some progress. That’d be nice.”

“I promise you’ll have it. From tonight. We’ll put all this behind our backs and just enjoy ourselves tonight and, and... this time we’ll get it right.” He stroked the side of his face and Dom sighed. “Alright? Dom?”

Big grey eyes stared back at him hesitatingly but then he nodded. “We’ll get it right.”

 

***

_London_

_12_ _ th_ _February_

_2 p.m._

 

Outside the door to the control room in the studio, Matt took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he was about to face. He was nervous. He berated himself for it but it was the truth. It was more nerve wracking talking to Dom now than he could remember it ever having been asking someone out on a date.

This was no ordinary invitation, of course. He’d made arrangements to spend Valentine’s Day with Dom in Tokyo, where all had started between them, in an attempt to now salvage their relationship. Things hadn’t been good lately. It was alright in the studio, the tension was barely there, but once they were on their own, in a different set, they no longer knew how to act like the couple they had been for awhile.

Dom was slipping away from him, a little more everyday that went by. The problem wasn’t the rows – they had fought since they knew each other. It was the distance which grew between them, the awkward silences, the feeling that something was missing and he didn’t know how to fix it. Dom’s eyes no longer sparked the same way they used to in the beginning, his smile was mechanical. Even in the bedroom things had cooled down considerably. He hadn’t spent a night at Matt’s or vice-versa in well over a month.

Matt couldn’t remember ever being so far apart from him. They had been more in synch and more of a unit even when in other relationships in the past than now. He felt lost. It was sometimes easy to forget how much of a presence Dom was in his life simply because he was always there. From co-worker, to friend, to lover, to significant other… he filled all the roles. Perfectly. Always. And now in his absence, Matt realised how lonely he felt, how much of him he deposited in Dom.

He was at a loss as what to do. The situation was completely foreign to him but, never one to give up easily, he knew that desperate situations required desperate measures. He didn’t care for Valentine’s, but he had risen to the occasion whenever necessary, that much he’d learnt over the years. A whole house filled with flowers or heart shaped chocolate boxes wouldn’t quite do the trick this time, though. Something less cheesy and a little more special, a little more extravagant, would be needed. He hoped a twelve hour flight wouldn’t be stretching it, despite Dom always embracing the travelling. His gift for him was already sitting at home too.

Someone from the studio staff walked by, shooting him a discreet glance. He finally stepped inside the control room, fully expecting to find Dom on his own, as his car was parked outside, but not Chris’.

What he did find however, was someone kneeling on the floor under the mixing desk, a mop of shiny black hair peeking. The hesitation he felt for a split second was blown into full confusion when he noticed the shoes. Those were Dom’s Converse. The dark haired man in Dom’s shoes crawled out and familiar grey eyes stared back at him.

“Your, your hair.” He stammered, pointing. “It’s... not blond.”

Dom was unimpressed, facing him as if he was stating the obvious. “You think?”

“What the fuck did you do to your hair?”

“It’s called a dye job, Matt.” He sat down on the couch and pulled the laptop onto his thighs.

They had experimented quite a bit with hair dye over the years but Dom had only been a brunet once and not for a long, as Matt had pestered him so much that he was trying to impersonate him, that he soon dyed it back lighter. However, this colour brought out his eyes, made him look younger too somehow. He had to admit he liked it and even had an urge to touch it.

“Thank fuck you got rid of the platinum blonde. Looked like a portable nuclear fusion experiment held by North Korea, right on top of your head.” He smirked.

“Thanks.”

Dom didn’t even blink, focused on the screen and Matt’s smile fell. There was no need to sulk, it was only a bloody joke. Although maybe a backhanded compliment wasn’t quite the way to go, especially with the plans he had in mind. Which he’d nearly forgotten after the shock. He’d give it another try.

“I love it. It looks really good on you, Dom.”

The gentler words were met with near imperceptible stalling from Dom, his bright eyes freezing on a spot on the screen for a moment. “Thanks.”

Definitely not as cold, Matt noticed. It was now or never. He gulped, stuffing his hands in his pockets to force them still.

“I was thinking... we could do something on Saturday. Together. Because it’s Valentines and, you know, it’s cheesy as fuck and it’s not like we need a reason to do stuff, is it, but I was thinking that... maybe, you know. You’d want to.” Hands in his pockets made everything more difficult. Dom was now looking at him and it was worrying that he couldn’t read him at all. “So do you?”

“Do what?”

“Valentines with me.”

“You didn’t say doing what.” He leaned back on the couch and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“Do I need to, for you to spend the day with me?”

He cast his eyes down and pursed his lips, the answer apparently not as obvious as Matt wished. “No, of course not.”

“Okay, cool.” He’d been excited before. Nervous but enthusiastic. He couldn’t help but feel himself deflating in front of Dom’s dry reaction. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at 10a.m. You need to pack for two days. And bring your passport.”

“Tomorrow?” He furrowed his brows. Matt noticed they were still light, contrasting with the dark hair on his head. “Where are we going?”

“That,” Matt turned to the mixing desk, “is a surprise.”

He could feel Dom’s curiosity from all the way across the room and contained himself from beaming. Plopping down on a chair, he rolled towards his bandmate to get the laptop and start working.

First mission accomplished.

Later that evening, with his case at his feet in his bedroom, Matt looked at the small jewellery box in his hands. He opened it again. Inside, the cheapest gift he’d ever given someone on Valentine’s, at the grand cost of precisely zero quid: three keys. Devon, London and Los Angeles. Spare keys, to all three houses he owned. The places he wanted to share with Dom. There was nothing else he could give of himself to Dom - he already owned him. _He_ was the key to everything that Matt was.

Asking Dom straight out to move in with him just like that, without any faff or easing in, was an enormous risk given the current state of their relationship. But allowing it to fall apart was the one risk he couldn’t take.

The 14th would mark a turn. He had no crystal ball to know what was in store for them but fate hadn’t connected them only for their journey to end now. They’d leave their problems in the past and take a step forward, towards the future. Together.


End file.
